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This is a great product, IF you get the Eco-complete everyone knows and loves (see 1st picture), and NOT the stuff Carib Sea has allowed to hit the stores lately (see pic of MY eco-complete, 2nd pic)..

If you mistakenly buy a bad batch, call 1-888-461-1113, and speak to Judd..

Harder on barbels than I thought when buying, thought not nearly as harsh as most gravel.

Great substrate, not very messy excellent for plants and takes a long time to loose nutrients. Love the black color as it makes the fish and plants stand out more. This substrate is very natural looking. Highly recommended.

Expensive but potentially worth it. The size of the granules is not consistent, which actually works for you. Pour it into a tank and the smaller particles go to the bottom while the larger ones stay on top. This is a natural setup for planted tanks. The black color allows the plants and fish to "pop." You can also top it with regular gravel to adopt a particular look you are going for. I like the substrate and will continue to use it.

I use this in all of my planted tanks. It makes the plants grow faster and more colorful from what I have seen. I also love the black color because it complements plants and fish, which is harder to find in other brands. It can get a bit expensive, especially in bigger tanks, but I think it's worth it. In tanks with cories and loaches I tend to have an area of pure sand so that they have an area to dig around in without harming their barbels.

Particle size. Stem plants seemed to have a hard time staying in place when first planted.

I like what I've seen with my plant growth vs. just your average aquarium gravel. A few times my stem plants would pop out of the substrate before they had a chance to root and that became frustrating.